What is the best charcoal for barbecues

Have you decided to buy a charcoal barbecue? Excellent decision! Now you have to think about what type of charcoal you are going to use for your barbecue. Because you may be wondering, what is the best charcoal for barbecues? Truth?

Charcoal, the best

The truth is that it is quite easy to decide. Charcoal is, without a doubt, the best for a barbecue. This charcoal is made by burning oak wood, at about 500 degrees Celsius in the absence of air.

With this, almost all the moisture in the wood is eliminated, and the calorific value that the coal will later have is increased. This makes it double that of the wood at the beginning. Of course, the process to make this type of charcoal is slow, lasting about 20 days.

Charcoal is made from different types of wood. The oak is the most common, but you can also find orange, quebracho or coconut charcoal. Each one has a different calorific value, and according to which dishes it is more suitable.

There is also what is known as mineral coal. This is the one that is extracted directly from the coal mines. Formerly it was used for trains. But, at present, it is in disuse due to its high degree of contamination.

How can you identify a quality charcoal?

Certainly, it can take a bit of time to pick out quality charcoal as a newbie. Now, keep in mind that the coal that you will find in supermarkets is of lower quality than what you can buy from a coal factory. The reason? These are manufactured with a process that takes just a few hours, mass-produced quickly. Therefore, they have a lower calorific value.

A quality charcoal must have these characteristics:

  • Durable: The quality coal can last long on, which makes it much cheaper and involves less work because you do not have to go adding more charcoal barbecue.
  • Tasty: A good charcoal helps meats, fish, and vegetables taste better.
  • Higher calorific value: In a barbecue, the calorific value is everything. The higher, the better. Quality charcoal reaches a temperature of 500 degrees, while a lower one may not even reach 300 degrees. This causes it to take longer to do the dishes.
  • Heavier: By weight you can also identify a good charcoal. A 3 kg bag of quality charcoal takes up half the space of a bag of the same weight of poor quality charcoal.

How should a fire be lit with charcoal?

It is not something that you should worry much about, because charcoal is actually much easier to light than it seems. No flammable tablets or liquids should be used, as that will only add a kerosene smell to dishes.

Using a charcoal holder, or electric lighter, the charcoal can be lit. As an addition to help the ignition to be slower but safe, pine cones or wood chips are used. A somewhat slower process, but safe.

Is charcoal or wood better?

Remember that charcoal is still wood that has been subjected to a fire retardant process to achieve that shape. But the truth is that there are some differences when it comes to using charcoal or wood.

The calorific value of coal is greater than that of wood , so if you have a large barbecue, you will be more interested in this type of material. And for some meats, it will always be better to use charcoal than wood . It also lasts much longer on. Coal can burn for a couple of hours, while wood burns faster.

On the other hand, in the long run it is much cheaper to buy sacks of charcoal than of wood. Of course, for some delicacies it will always be better to use wood. But, if you want to save, coal will always be the best option.

Best for grill or barbecue?

You already know that there is a big difference between barbecue and grill, right? Barbecues are better for cooking, because the lid keeps the heat better and they are much safer. However, what is it better for?

Without a doubt, charcoal is better for barbecues. Because charcoal is healthier, it’s not as bad for the smoke to hit your face while you’re cooking. Although it is much better to use a built-in barbecue, in a charcoal one you can use it without fear. In addition, it is easy to clean and remove the remains that it leaves behind.

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